D'Angelico

In 1932, John D’Angelico founded D’Angelico Guitars and opened his first shop at 40 Kenmare Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy. At only nine years old, he became an apprentice to
his grand uncle Signor Ciani, an expert violin and mandolin maker. This apprenticeship would become the basis for construction principles he later incorporated into his
world-renowned archtop guitars.

D'Angelico instruments were strictly hand-made, and in very limited quantities. During the late 1930s, when production was at its peak, D'Angelico made approximately 35 instruments
per year with the help of only two workers. His recognition as the “finest builder of archtop guitars” later brought offers from larger companies, but ultimately decided to
keep his operation under his own name.

He built 1,164 instruments before he died in 1964. Following his death in 1964, D’Angelico’s former apprentice, James D’Aquisto, became his successor. After several years,
D’Aquisto left to begin producing guitars under his own name.

In 1999, Brenden Cohen, John Ferolito Jr. and Steve Pisani purchased the D’Angelico Guitars trademark from John Ferolito Sr., co-founder of Arizona Beverages. In 2010, Cohen and
Pisani began constructing a new showroom for the brand. D’Angelico Guitars was officially launched in 2011. That year, original D’Angelico guitars were honored at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of an exhibition titled Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York.

In subsequent years, D’Angelico began broadening their product line, first starting with reissues of original John D’Angelico designs, and then introducing new semi-hollow and
acoustic models. A notable number of artists began playing D’Angelico guitars on stage, including Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, jazz legend Kurt Rosenwinkel, Warren Haynes,
Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Susan Tedeschi, and many more. In 2014, Eric Clapton requested a customized model of the classic D'Angelico Style B for touring.
That year, D'Angelico Guitars sponsored Mountain Jam, a summer music festival in eastern New York. The brand launched its first line of acoustic guitars in January 2015.